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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933488">i'd always pick you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureteens/pseuds/futureteens'>futureteens</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, THEY ARE SO TENDER, they go apple picking and just do a lot of gay handholding the whole time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:14:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933488</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureteens/pseuds/futureteens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike and Eddie go on their first date to pick apples</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mike Hanlon/Eddie Kaspbrak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i'd always pick you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was for my 1k followers giveaway on my tumblr @winterstenbrough<br/>I also have a playlist that goes with this which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4alL5L9rklRwXvPX0VZLoR?si=b_ebVkl9RBSQ7ITJkhoLcg</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>It had been a long summer for Eddie and Mike and by the time the first calm weekend rolled around, they planned a day to drive out to the country and do some apple picking. The idea was originally Eddie's alone, but he didn't seem too bothered when Mike asked if he could join. In fact, he was more than happy to be doing something with his boyfriend.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They had been together for a few weeks now, both still doing their best to figure out exactly what that meant for them, trying to mend the gap between their relationship and friendship. The two had gone on a few dates in the past, but they were both worried that anything they did would jeopardize their friendship, though, after a late-night of just talking, they decided they wanted to take the risk.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie was excited to bring Mike along with him, even more, he was excited to share one of his favorite things with the other. The hobby, something he had picked up to unwind on the weekends a few years before, was now turning into their first date as a couple. Eddie knew they both were nervous to see how this would go.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Mike picked Eddie up in the early afternoon, driving them to an orchard out of town. Eddie connected his phone to the stereo in Mike's car, playing soft music as he looked out the window; the town melted together with the country until there was nothing but fields for miles. The view was unbeatable, he had never gotten to really take it all in, usually focused on the road. Eddie shifted around a bit, reaching for his jacket he had brought. After laying it over his lap, he put the window down, letting the fresh air in.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Mike glanced over at Eddie, smiling before looking back at the road. He felt a twinge in his gut, the feeling of how much he liked Eddie welling up again, as big as it had been since they were kids. Now both in their mid-twenties, Mike had decided he was tired of trying to push the feeling away. He reached over, grabbing Eddie's hand with his own, rubbing his thumb over the boy's fingers. Eddie turned, looking at the gesture, and then to Mike with reddening cheeks.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm really glad you decided to come with me," Eddie said, putting the window back up so he could focus on the man beside him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm really glad you let me come with you. I've been meaning to go for a while."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Mike hadn't picked apples since he was a kid, it was weird how long ago that felt to him now. He had told himself in recent years he would do it again, though life proved to be a lot more chaotic than he ever could've imagined, but now, with Eddie, things were slowing down. <em>They were taking things slow.</em></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It was proving itself to be the best thing for them, Mike had finally felt himself calming down. The past few months had been really tough on him and he didn’t want their relationship to be the cause of any stress. Adjusting to finally living on his own after years of a roommate and before that, years of living with his parents was harder than he could’ve imagined. He was also working on combating the absolute loneliness that surfaced with it. Eddie helped keep him grounded when he felt all alone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Finally, after turning down a dirt road, they made it to the orchard. Mike rushed over to Eddie's side of the car, trying to do the gentleman-y thing and get his door for him. He reached for Eddie's hand, hoping that the gesture wasn't too much for the other now that they were in public. A smile spread across Mike's face when Eddie took his hand without hesitation. He gave Mike a small squeeze, reassuring him that he was okay, before leading him through the parking lot. They walked to the stand by the entrance arch, before Mike dropped Eddie’s hand to wrestle his wallet out of his pocket.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Mike paid for both of their baskets, before leading them past the little store and down a pathway lined with apple trees on both sides. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike tucked their baskets between the knuckles of his free hand, as he picked Eddie's back up without missing a beat.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "I think the ropes are supposed to show off the different sections, right?" He questioned, making a vague gesture towards what he was talking about.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie nodded a little, "Yeah, I was looking to get some Honeycrisp and Empire apples." He reached for his basket from Mike, before gently pulling him down a different pathway to what he wanted. Eddie knew, based on his repeated returns to the same orchard, where what he was looking for was. Mike was happy to let Eddie lead the way.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> There weren't many others around, they had only passed one other couple before they made their way to the first selection. Mike was grateful for their privacy, he didn’t need to worry about others judging them for their relationship. He was trying to not be so uptight about that either, reminding himself that the most important thing was Eddie, but it was hard to not be worried about what everyone thought of them.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie, who knew exactly what he was looking for and not entirely caught up in his thoughts, began to pluck some apples from the trees while Mike stood back to look at him. The overwhelming feeling rushed over him again. It was seeing Eddie when he was so focused that made Mike's heart swell. Eddie seemed so content with what he was doing and honestly, it was so nice to just seem him happy after everything. It was a sight he didn't get to admire much, but finally, Eddie broke the moment, turning around to gesture for Mike to join him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Here, there are some good ones in this area!" He pointed out to Mike. Eddie’s voice was light, it seemed as if the boy didn’t have a single care in the world other than the fruit in front of him. "I bet you can even reach the really good ones up there."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> It was true, the man stood at almost six foot three, and with stretching, he had his fair pick of all the good apples most others couldn't reach.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Now it was Eddie's turn to watch Mike, giving him small reassurance as he grabbed ones that looked delicious. He emptied the pocket he had made of his shirt into his basket, before going back to grab a few more.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Do you want me to grab you some of these too?" Mike asked, setting a couple into his basket.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie pointed out a few specific ones, but he wasn't too picky. "I'm sure they'll all taste good, this place always has the best ones." He knew from experience, he had tried to go to a few other orchards in years past, but he always ended up right back at this one.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "So what do you do with all of these?" Mike asked, handing off apples to Eddie, before stepping back to look at him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Well, sometimes I make pies. Sometimes I just eat them, I used to give some to my neighbors, but when they moved out I just stopped picking as many." Eddie paused, hand clasped around the fruit, "Would you wanna make a pie with me?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Neither of them really knew where they fell. Though they both acknowledged that they were in a relationship, they hadn't tried to define what it meant to them. There was a small amount of worry in the back of Eddie's mind that asking more of Mike would drive him away and he would think that he would be too needy. He tried not to be so insecure, but he had a history of trying too hard, wanting too much.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> His fear, however, was never actualized, instead, he was met with an airy laugh, a cloud of Mike’s breath lingering in the cool autumn air. "Of course I do! You're gonna have to show me how to bake them. Maybe we could gift a few pies to our friends since we're going to have all of my apples to use."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie nodded, picking up his basket after setting the last one in. "Yeah, that would be nice. I bet your coworkers would like one too." He was happy that the two of them would be able to bake together, he always found a lot of comfort in the hobby and hoped that he would be able to pass that comfort to Mike too. Baking tended to soothe Eddie like no other hobby. He did well when he could do things with his hands, it was how he fell into his job as a mechanic.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike watched Eddie for a moment, before grabbing his basket as well, figuring they both had enough of the Honeycrisps. He grabbed Eddie's hand again, walking down the path, looking fondly at the signs for the different types.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "I didn't realize that there were so many <em>breeds </em>of apples," he joked, happy when he earned a laugh from the other.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Yeah, there's even more than this too, this is just what grows best during October. If you go further down that way-" he pointed down a different path- "those are all the ones that are going to start growing in the next few weeks as it gets colder. We could come back for more if you wanted."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike stopped the both of them, stepping closer to one of the trees. "These are... Jonathan apples?" he asked, though the sign for them was clearly marked. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie grabbed one off the tree, it was bright red in his hand. The man quickly set his basket down and then held it up towards Mike's mouth. "Try it."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "That feels illegal." He laughed, giving a glance around. He wasn’t sure how someone would catch him or if it was even frowned upon, but he was still nervous.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "It's fine, just try it, Mikey," Eddie assured, pushing his hand a little closer until Mike's hand wrapped firmly around his to steady the fruit and he took a bite.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "It's good," Mike said, giving it a small nod. He had only had grocery store apples in recent years and the flavor of this was <em>a lot </em>better. He pushed the apple back towards Eddie, though, "<em>You</em> take a bite now, Hon."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> The pet name made Eddie melt, his cheeks getting redder. If Mike had decided to mention it, he would've easily blamed it on the cold air outside, but it was easy to tell, to both, that he was embarrassed. He also took a bite into the apple, laughing a little when he pulled away. There was a small bit of juice running down his bottom lip which he used the back of his sleeve to wipe it.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> When Eddie pulled away, now looking up at Mike, he laughed. "I guess we're just going to have to sit here and eat the rest of this apple now. I’d hate to waste this <em>perfectly </em>good apple," Mike said, feigning an exasperated tone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "I guess so," Eddie repeated, sitting down on the ground by the roots of the tree, leaning back against the trunk. Mike followed suit, sitting down beside him, their bodies close enough that Mike’s arm brushed against Eddie’s as he held the apple out to him. They took turns back and forth, each taking bites until they reached the core and Mike quickly tossed it further into the trees beside them.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie usually would've given a second thought to sharing food, but with Mike, he just felt a lot more relaxed. The usual fretting that plagued a good amount of his life didn't even cross his mind. He set his head on Mike's chest, sliding closer to him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie wished they could have stayed like that forever, it felt safe; Mike's arms wrapped around him, gently stroking his hair. After a few minutes passed Mike’s stomach growled and they both laughed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "We should've brought a picnic, this would've been perfect,” Mike said, through laughter.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "I think there's food in the shop we passed on the way in. I don’t think it’s much, but we could grab something small if you wanted?" He hadn’t ordered anything from there before, but he knew he had seen their menu once or twice in passing.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike nodded, slowly shifting Eddie’s head so he could get up from where he sat. He stood up, dusting off his jeans and then his hands. He reached a hand out to help Eddie up, who also brushed himself off before they each grabbed their baskets.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> They walked towards the Empire section, Eddie, once again, leading the way for them. He was quicker picking the apples this time, Mike helping him as well as grabbing a few for himself. Eddie put them into his basket until it was full. "Did you want any of the other kinds before we walk down to the store?" He asked, turning to smile at Mike.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike looked down at his basket and shook his head, it was full nearly to the handle and he didn’t think he would even be able to use all of them before they went bad. He and Eddie were already going to have to make <em>a lot</em> of pies.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> They walked down the walkway back to the store, taking their time to just enjoy themselves. Eddie swung their hands between them as they walked through the entryway into the store.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> In the store was a small kitchen and a small menu hung on the wall beside a counter. They served only a few things, but Mike was more than happy to get them both apple cider and donuts. It would make due until the two could get some real dinner. After he paid for it, they went outside to sit at one of the tables. There was a small garden surrounding the ‘outdoor dining.’</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Do you want to come over tonight to bake?" Eddie asked, breaking the silence. He set his empty cup down.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Yeah, I’d love to." Mike looked across the table at him, giving him a reassuring smile. He was thrilled to be spending this much time with Eddie, hoping that the two of them would keep seeing each other like this as their relationship progressed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> He was even more thrilled that he was having <em>such </em>a good time with Eddie, it made him feel better to know that the other wanted to spend so much time with him, too. He had been so caught up in the fear that anything that they did could ruin their friendship, but how well things were going was starting to put him at ease.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie nodded, "Great! We'd just need to stop by a grocery store, I don't think I have enough flour for all those pies. Oh, and we can also stop to get some <em>real </em>food, my treat."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike held his hand up, “No that’s okay, I can pay for it, really-”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie cut him off, shaking his head. He wasn’t going to let that slide: “It’s the least I can do after everything today.” Eddie was gracious for how kind Mike was treating him, but he felt bad that he hadn’t been able to reciprocate.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike agreed, he knew there was no reason to argue with Eddie. He appreciated the gesture. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> When they had finished their donuts and cider, the two started walking back out to their car, getting ready to leave through the shop they had. However, not before doing a bit of window shopping. The two walked around the store, holding their baskets of apples, and pointed out different things to each other.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> “Heh- Look, Eddie, it’s you,” Mike said upon finding a light purple teddy bear.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie laughed, before turning to grab the first stuffed animal he saw, “Yeah? Well, this is you.” He picked up a pink and white cow, both of their expressions softening.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> They went through the whole store, looking at all of their overpriced things, laughing, and sharing inside jokes amongst themselves. Finally, they both felt like they had exhausted what the store had to offer.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> “Are you ready to go?” Mike asked, squeezing Eddie’s hand.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> “Mhm, but first…” He let go of Mike’s hand, disappearing behind a rack. Mike followed after him, surprised when he saw Eddie walking towards the cash register. He furrowed his eyebrows, walking up to him. Eddie was handing over cash when Mike came up, his purchase was already bagged.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> “What did you get?” Mike asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> The cashier handed Eddie his change and receipt which he slipped into his pocket in an attempt to be quick before grabbing the bag from the woman behind the counter. In a swift motion, he handed the bag to Mike who looked puzzled.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> He peaked inside of it, doing the best he could with one hand, and grinned widely when he saw the head of the pink and white cow. “Oh. You didn’t have to do that.” He walked outside with Eddie, “Thank you so much, I love him.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Eddie scrunched his nose up, “You’re <em>so </em>welcome.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> The two walked back to the car and Mike quickly put the cow and his apples on the floor of the back seat, Eddie following soon with his own basket.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike then got into the car, settling in before looking over to Eddie. Eddie got in beside him and reached for his hand, almost instinctively.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Without skipping a beat, Mike looked over to Eddie and said, "I had a really nice time apple picking with you. I get why you like to do it so much," he teased. He was glad that he had pushed off going for so long, going with Eddie made it perfect.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> "Yeah it's really calming for me - you should come with me more often," he casually suggested.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> Mike nodded, "I would love that." Still talking, the boy leaned over, cupping the side of Eddie's face with his hand. Eddie made the first move, closing the gap between them with a soft kiss.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> They parted, Mike looking breathless. He pulled his hand away from the other’s face and grabbed his hand. The two locked eyes for a moment, before Mike looked away, blushing. He focused back on getting them to the grocery store and turned the car on, driving out of the parking lot. They both stayed quiet for the drive, though they didn't have to say anything, they both knew. Eddie rolled down the window again, taking everything in and both men felt better than they had in months.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> They were starting to feel like they would be <em>just fine</em> now.</p>
</div>
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